Text of report by Somali Puntland-based Radio

[NASSIR]

Note not any media has this info unless they steal it from me.

 

Text of report by Somali Puntland-based Radio Midnimo on 19 March

 

 

Students, elders and other citizens have participated in a demonstration organized by Bari regional administration and Information Ministry [of the regional administration of Puntland]

The demonstrators were addressed at the local government's hall by Information Assistant Minister Bakiin, Deputy Police Commander Abdi-aziz Sa'id Ga'amey, Bari Region chairman Yusuf Muhammad Waceys, Boosaaso Mayor Rooble Umar Gudur and other officials.

They criticized the Speaker of the federal transitional parliament of Somalia, Sharif Hasan, and said he is someone who cannot take responsibilities and that he was responsible for the problem that erupted at the parliamentary session in Nairobi following the decision he made, which they say was not just.

The leaders also told the demonstrators that BBC is not neutral and that the BBC thrives on confrontation and hostilities among the Somalis clans.

The assistant information minister said they might impose a ban on the FM station relaying BBC Somali service. He also added they will give approval to other international media bodies like Al Jazeera TV, Al-Arabiya and the rest, which he described as neutral.

Recent parliamentary session of Puntland also criticized the BBC Somali Service.

Credit: Radio Midnimo, Boosaaso, in Somali 1030 19 Mar 05

[NASSIR]

Below is a very sarcastic editorial but worthy rude-awakening to all of us.

 

 

"Somalia MPs a disgrace"

 

published by Kenyan newspaper The Standard

on 19 March

 

 

It is said that people fight because they cannot argue. This was amply testified to on Thursday [17 March] when members of the Somalia parliament abandoned all pretence to reasoned debate and decided to go hammer and tongs at each other.

What started out as a peaceful meeting involving MPs allied to different factions in the still shaky Somalia political establishment ended in a most shameful bloody fight.

The participants started attacking each other with chairs and anything they could lay their hands on. The scene at a Nairobi hotel where they were meeting was left resembling a veritable battlefield.

The bone of contention was the involvement of front-line states in the composition of a proposed peacekeeping force to Somalia. The MPs were supposed to vote by secret ballot on whether the front- line states of Kenya, Ethiopia, Eritrea and Djibouti should be involved in the disarmament process.

This, agreeably, is a touchy matter. There are those who have argued that the Somali people are the only ones who can ably disarm the warlords now staggered across Somalia. There are those who favour foreign peacekeepers.

But this should not be reason enough to engage in a bloody fight. Given the still volatile situation in Somalia, the MPs fight does not inspire much hope that, once they are back in their country, they will be able to argue intelligently and sort out matters affecting their nation without resulting to brawls. When leaders, who are entrusted with the onerous task of restoring order in Somalia display such an astonishing incapability to reason, what should one expect of the ordinary citizens?

And, are these the same people expected to lead Somalia?

 

_________________________________________________

 

 

"Fighting Somali MPs cautioned"

 

March 20, 2005

 

NAIROBI (Daily Nation) Kenya yesterday told the Somali transitional government: Behave as we prepare you for your return home.

Regional Cooperation Minister John Koech said the fighting among that country's MPs on Thursday [17 March] night showed disrespect for the people and government of Kenya that, he noted, had spent 6.4m dollars (about 500m shillings) on the peace process and to sustain the government's activities while in Nairobi.

"Such behaviour is deplorable and unwelcome. The MPs and ministers should think about their position. Instead of physical confrontation they should opt for dialogue," he said in an interview with the [Daily] Nation.

The fight was likely to disrupt their return to Mogadishu, which is behind schedule by about four months, he pointed out.

But he said their move to the capital, Mogadishu, would depend on how fast the African Union would mobilize troops for the exercise.

His statement came as Kenyan police said they would not investigate the fracas in which five MPs were injured.

"They lack decorum; they should have opened for dialogue in case of any disagreements," he added.

Earlier, a senior police source said it was not possible to arrest and charge all the parliamentarians. "The issue involves another country and we do not want to interfere with their internal squabbles," he said.